1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus which includes a graphics chip which performs a drawing process, an information processing method and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, together with enhancement of the performance of an information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer), a high drawing processing capacity is demanded for a graphics chip which takes charge of a drawing process in an information processing apparatus. Meanwhile, particularly for a notebook type PC, also low power consumption and elongation of the battery duration are demanded.
A notebook type PC conventionally includes a single graphics chip incorporated therein. Generally, a graphics chip has such reciprocity that, where it has a high drawing processing capacity, it exhibits high power consumption, but where it exhibits low power consumption, it has a drawing processing capacity lower than that of a graphics chip which exhibits high power consumption. In particular, when it is tried to incorporate a graphics chip into a notebook type PC, it cannot be avoided to select either one of a graphics chip which has a high drawing processing capacity but exhibits high power consumption and another graphics chip which has a low drawing processing capacity but exhibits low power consumption.
Accordingly, particularly with regard to an information processing apparatus produced with importance attached to the mobility like a notebook type PC, it is demanded by some user that, for example, where an AC adapter is connected to the information processing apparatus, a graphics chip having a high drawing processing capacity be used, but where the information processing apparatus is driven by a battery, importance be attached to the battery duration rather than the drawing processing capacity.
On the other hand, with regard to a desk top type PC, where it has an expansion slot, it is conventionally possible to connect an extension board called graphic board (video card or video board) to the extension slot to perform exchange or addition of a graphic board.
However, in this instance, professionally high knowledge is required for exchange between a plurality of graphics chips, and therefore, a graphics chip cannot be exchanged readily. Further, in order to exchange a graphics board, it is necessary to perform complicated operations such as to open a case of a desk top type PC and remove and insert a graphic board, which is not convenient to the user as well.
It is to be noted that, as regards changeover between two different graphics chips, a graphic apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-353495, particularly in paragraph [0009] and FIG. 1 etc. (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1). The graphic apparatus includes a controller for a 2D graphics process and a controller for a 3D graphics process, and a changeover circuit capable of changing over between the controllers in response to a type of a drawing command, mounted on one board. The information processing apparatus can change over a controller to be used between the two controllers in response to a drawing command from an application for a 2D process and a 3D process.
However, in the graphic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the controllers are merely selectively used in response to the drawing command from the application. However, the graphic apparatus does not allow the user to actively change over the controller to be used between the controllers in response to such a demand of the user that, for example, importance be attached to one of the drawing processing capacity and lower power consumption or an object of use of the user.
From such a situation as described above, it is demanded to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program by which a graphics chip to be used can be changed over readily between graphics chips having different information processing capacities in response to an object of use of a user.